Where Islam spreads, freedom dies

The flows of desperate people across the Mediterranean have been a response to political instability in the Arab world. But they are likely to be followed later this century by environmental refugees, as runaway climate change spreads chaos across Sub-Saharan Africa. Europe needs to get its act together when it comes to dealing – efficiently and humanely – with refugees from the south. What we are witnessing now could well be merely a taste of what is to come.

It really is striking how lame-brained the Independent is on immigration. It makes the Guardian look tough-minded and realistic. And it's not just the Independent itself but its readers. You see the same kind of drivel in the comments; petty points and shallow arguments that were past their sell-by date 5-6 years ago on the Guardian (including the comments) are still taken seriously on the Independent. It's like they're in a time warp. Somehow the whole paper reminds me of the Lib Dhims.